Fan structure

ABSTRACT

A fan structure mainly comprises a fan wheel, a circuit board and a stator. The fan wheel comprising a hub and a plurality of blades is disposed at a fan wheel-disposing area of the circuit board. The fan wheel-disposing area comprises a first disposition area corresponding to the hub and a second disposition area corresponding to the blades. The fan wheel is smaller than the circuit board in size. The stator is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, coupled to the fan wheel and electrically connected with a fan-driving circuit of the circuit board.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally relating to a fan structure, more particularly to a thinned fan structure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional fan structure 100 typically comprises a base 110, a circuit board 120, a fan wheel 130, a stator 140 and a casing 150, in which the circuit board 120, the fan wheel 130 and the stator 140 are disposed on the base 110, the stator 140 is coupled to the fan wheel 130 and electrically connected with the circuit board 120 so as to drive the fan wheel 130 to run, and the casing 150 is coupled to the base 110 for protecting the circuit board 120, the stator 140 and the fan wheel 130. However, the circuit board 120, the fan wheel 130 and the stator 140 are disposed on the base 110 so the thickness of conventional fan structure 100 is relatively thick normally unable to answer requirement of thinned fan structure.

SUMMARY

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a fan structure comprising a fan wheel, a circuit board and a stator. The fan wheel has a hub and a plurality of blades. The circuit board has a fan wheel-disposing area, an electronic component-disposing area located outside the fan wheel-disposing area and a fan-driving circuit. The fan wheel disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area comprises a first disposition area corresponding to the hub and a second disposition area corresponding to the blades and is smaller than the circuit board in size. The stator is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, coupled to the fan wheel and electrically connected with the fan-driving circuit of the circuit board. Because the fan wheel and the stator are directly disposed on the circuit board with the fan driving-circuit, the base of fan wheel can be omitted to obtain cost-saving and fan wheel structure-thinning benefits.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating conventional fan structure.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a fan structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating circuit board of the fan structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating circuit board of the fan structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view illustrating circuit board of the fan structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a top view illustrating circuit board of the fan structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a top view illustrating circuit board of the fan structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective exploded view illustrating fan wheel and circuit board of the fan structure in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9A is a sectional view illustrating the fan structure with casing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a sectional view illustrating the fan structure with casing in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10A is a sectional view illustrating the fan structure with casing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10B is a sectional view illustrating the fan structure with casing in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a sectional view illustrating the fan structure with casing in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11B is a sectional view illustrating the fan structure with casing in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 2, a fan structure 200 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention comprises a fan wheel 210, a circuit board 220, a stator 230 and a bearing assembly 240, in which the fan wheel 210 has a hub 211, a plurality of blades 212 and an axle 213, the circuit board 220 has a fan wheel-disposing area 221, an electronic component-disposing area 222 located outside the fan wheel-disposing area 221 and a fan-driving circuit 223. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the fan wheel-disposing area 221 may have a shape of circle or rectangle, or referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the circuit board 220 may directly be in shape of circle, rectangle or cross in another embodiment. Referring again to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the fan wheel 210 is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area 221 comprising a first disposition area 221 a corresponding to the hub 211 and a second disposition area 221 b corresponding to the blades 212, in which the fan wheel 210 is smaller than the circuit board 220 in size. The fan-driving circuit 223 comprises at least one fan-driving chip 223 a that may apply a Hall IC in this embodiment. The fan-driving chip 223 a may be disposed at the electronic component-disposing area 222 or the fan wheel-disposing area 221 and is disposed at the electronic component-disposing area 222 in this embodiment for thinning fan structure.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the stator 230 is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area 221, coupled to the fan wheel 210 and electrically connected with the fan-driving circuit 223 of the circuit board 220 for driving the fan wheel 210 to run. The bearing assembly 240 is disposed at the first disposition area 221 a of the fan wheel-disposing area 221 and coupled to the stator 230 and the fan wheel 210 comprising a shaft 241 and a bearing 242 disposed within the shaft 241. The bearing 242 has a via hole 242 a and the fan wheel-disposing area 221 has an opening 221 c and at least one aeration space 221 d. The aeration space 221 d located at the second disposition area 221 b of the fan wheel-disposing area 221 exposes the blades 212 and may be groove or bore for aeration. The via hole 242 a of the bearing 242 corresponds to the opening 221 c of the fan wheel-disposing area 221 and the axle 213 of the fan wheel 210 is disposed by inserting into the via hole 242 a of the bearing 242. Moreover, referring to FIG. 8, a central point I of the hub 211 is aligned with a central point I′ of the fan wheel-disposing area 221 and there is an interval H between the central point I′ of the fan wheel-disposing area 221 and an external edge 221 b′ of the second disposition area 221 b, the interval H is larger than a radius r of the hub 211. Because the fan wheel 210 and the stator 230 are directly disposed on the circuit board 220 with the fan driving-circuit 223, the base of fan wheel can be omitted to obtain cost-saving and fan structure-thinning benefits.

Next, referring to FIGS. 9A, 9B, 10A, 10B, 11A and 11B, the fan structure 200 further comprises a casing 250 and the circuit board 220 further has a casing-disposing area 224, in which the casing-disposing area 224 is located outside the fan wheel-disposing area 221, the casing 250 is coupled to the casing-disposing area 224 of the circuit board 220. Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, the casing 250 has a join bore 251 and the circuit board 220 further has a fixing bore 225, the join bore 251 corresponds to the fixing bore 225 and is coupled to the fixing bore 225 by means of a lock member (not shown in the drawing), in which screw or adhesive may be used as the lock member. Besides, referring again to FIG. 7, when the circuit board 220 is in shape of cross, it further has at least one rib L and the casing disposing-area 224 is located on the rib L, and the fixing bore 225 is located at the casing-disposing area 224. In another embodiment referring to FIGS. 10A and 10B, the casing 250 has an insertion portion A and the circuit board 220 has a slot A′, the insertion portion A is coupled to the slot A′. In one more embodiment referring to FIGS. 11A and 11B, the casing 250 has a clasp portion B and the circuit board 220 has a fastening member B′, the fastening member B′ is coupled to the clasp portion B.

While this invention has been particularly illustrated and described in detail with respect to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art that is not limited to the specific features shown and described and various modified and changed in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention. 

1. A fan structure comprising: a fan wheel having a hub and a plurality of blades; a circuit board having a fan wheel-disposing area, an electronic component-disposing area located outside the fan wheel-disposing area and a fan-driving circuit, wherein the fan wheel is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, the fan wheel-disposing area comprises a first disposition area corresponding to the hub and a second disposition area corresponding to the blades, the fan wheel is smaller than the circuit board in size; and a stator disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, coupled to the fan wheel and electrically connected with the fan-driving circuit of the circuit board.
 2. The fan structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fan-driving circuit comprises at least one fan-driving chip disposed at the electronic component-disposing area.
 3. The fan structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fan-driving circuit comprises at least one fan-driving chip disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area.
 4. The fan structure in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a casing, the circuit board further having a casing-disposing area located outside the fan wheel-disposing area, the casing being coupled to the casing-disposing area of the circuit board.
 5. The fan structure in accordance with claim 4, wherein the casing has an insertion portion and the circuit board has a slot, the insertion portion is coupled to the slot.
 6. The fan structure in accordance with claim 4, wherein the casing has a clasp portion and the circuit board has a fastening member, the fastening member is coupled to the clasp portion.
 7. The fan structure in accordance with claim 4, wherein the casing has a join bore and the circuit board has a fixing bore, the join bore corresponds to the fixing bore and is coupled to the fixing bore by means of a lock member.
 8. The fan structure in accordance with claim 1, wherein the fan wheel-disposing area has at least one aeration space.
 9. The fan structure in accordance with claim 8, wherein the aeration space is located at the second disposition area.
 10. A fan structure comprising: a fan wheel having a hub and a plurality of blades; a circuit board having a fan wheel-disposing area, an electronic component-disposing area and a fan-driving circuit, wherein the fan wheel is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, the fan wheel-disposing area comprises a first disposition area corresponding to the hub and a second disposition area corresponding to the blades, the fan wheel is smaller than the circuit board in size, a central point of the hub is aligned with a central point of the fan wheel-disposing area, wherein there is an interval between the central point of the fan wheel-disposing area and an external edge of the second disposition area, the interval is larger than a radius of the hub; and a stator disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, coupled to the fan wheel and electrically connected with the fan-driving circuit of the circuit board.
 11. The fan structure in accordance with claim 10, wherein the fan-driving circuit comprises at least one fan-driving chip disposed at the electronic component-disposing area.
 12. The fan structure in accordance with claim 10, wherein the fan-driving circuit comprises at least one fan-driving chip disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area.
 13. The fan structure in accordance with claim 10, further comprising a casing, the circuit board further having a casing-disposing area located outside the fan wheel-disposing area, the casing being coupled to the casing-disposing area of the circuit board.
 14. The fan structure in accordance with claim 13, wherein the casing has an insertion portion and the circuit board has a slot, the insertion portion is coupled to the slot.
 15. The fan structure in accordance with claim 13, wherein the casing has a clasp portion and the circuit board has a fastening member, the fastening member is coupled to the clasp portion.
 16. The fan structure in accordance with claim 13, wherein the casing has a join bore and the circuit board has a fixing bore, the join bore corresponds to the fixing bore and is coupled to the fixing bore by means of a lock member.
 17. The fan structure in accordance with claim 10, wherein the fan wheel-disposing area has at least one aeration space.
 18. The fan structure in accordance with claim 17, wherein the aeration space is located at the second disposition area.
 19. A fan structure comprising: a fan wheel having a hub and a plurality of blades; a circuit board having a fan wheel-disposing area and a fan-driving circuit, wherein the fan wheel is disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, the fan wheel-disposing area comprises a first disposition area corresponding to the hub and a second disposition area corresponding to the blades, the fan wheel is smaller than the circuit board in size, a central point of the hub is aligned with a central point of the fan wheel-disposing area, wherein there is an interval between the central point of the fan wheel-disposing area and an external edge of the second disposition area, the interval is larger than a radius of the hub; and a stator disposed at the fan wheel-disposing area, coupled to the fan wheel and electrically connected with the fan-driving circuit. 